Source:NTI Galaxy, US Rtg, 8/22/05.  Two-Men=9:30p

CYNTHIA TURNER’S
Cynopsis

08/29/05

Good morning.  It’s Monday, August 29, 2005, and this is your first early morning briefing.

First Premiere of the new Broadcast Season:
Fox:  Prison Break from 8-10p

FX has signed a theatrical film package deal with 20th Century Fox for a dozen titles, and about $75 million bucks.  Per Variety, the films include Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Robots, Fantastic Four, Flight of the Phoenix and Fat Albert.  SVP/Programming Chuck Safler says the strategy is to align the theatrical debuts with the networks original programming premieres, all targeting the A18-49.  20th is still on the hunt for a broadcast partner.  Additionally, FX has picked up the rights to Crash from Lions Gate Films, and also plans to develop an original scripted series based on that film.

He talks to dead people, and now it’s reported he’s also talking with WE: Women’s Entertainment.  According to Broadcasting & Cable, psychic John Edward is in negotiations with the cable network to eventually find his way back to the small screen.  Edward’s last go around with television ended in 2004 with his syndicated daytime series Crossing Over with John Edward (Studios USA).

National Lampoon, Inc., Premavision and Cloakey Productions have picked up the rights to the bendy green one, Gumby.  The updated version is called Gumby: The Lost Tapes, and is described as a little “edgy” and “irreverent.”  National Lampoon will create and produce new dialog and will update Gumby, Pokey, the Blockheads, and Nopey, making them more appealing today’s young adult audience.  The new versions of the series will appear on the National Lampoon Network, which is available to nearly five million college students on 600 campuses nationwide, and on NationalLampoon.com, and then will be packaged for sale on DVD and in other media.  Additionally, National Lampoon Network, has acquired rights to air the original Gumby episodes, featuring the original audio, and will begin airing those as part of its fall programming season.

The US’ The Daily Show with Jon Stewart has found a new audience.  The nightly news of news show inked its first full-scale international syndication agreement with the UK’s Channel 4.  The broadcaster will air the Comedy Central program on its new digital channel More4. More4’s head Peter Dale noted to Reuters that “it’s irresistible to an audience that likes an irreverent brand of humor. It’s made for British audiences in some way.” He added that Comedy Central “seemed a bit surprised that we were interested.”

Weekend Box Office Estimates: August 26-28, 2005
40-Year Old Virgin (Universal)           $16.4 million – 2 wk total $48.7m
The Brothers Grimm (Dimension)  $15.1 million – opening weekend
Red Eye (DreamWorks)                      $10.4 million – 2 wk total $32.7m
Four Brothers (Paramount)                        $7.8 million – 3 wk total $55.3m
Wedding Crashers (New Line)                   $6.3 million – 7 wk total $187.7m
The Cave (Screen Gems)           $6.2 million – opening weekend
March of the Penguins (Warner Ind.)         $4.8 million – 10 wk total $55.7m
The Skeleton Key (Universal)                     $4.4 million – 3 wk total $37.9m
Valiant (Buena Vista)                     $3.4 million – 2 wk total $11.6m
Dukes of Hazzard (Warner Bros.)             $3.0 million – 4 wk total $74.4m
Source: Box Office Mojo

Program Change:  Fox‘s debut of The Bernie Mac Show on September 23 will now be a one hour episode at 8p, with the premiere of Killer Instinct at 9p.  The one hour Bernie Mac will push the launch of Malcolm in the Middle back one week to September 30 at 830p.

Correction:   In Friday’s edition, the lead story was about Raycom purchasing Liberty Corp.  The item incorrectly listed Liberty Corp. as Liberty Media Corp.

For those of you who’ve known me for a long time, you’ll know this great news was a long time coming.  Our eldest daughter, Marilee, called late last night to announce she is engaged to be married!  Picture this: she arrived home from work last evening to a house sprinkled liberally with rose petals, lit candles, long-stem red roses in vases all over, her and Gary’s favorite song playing, an anxious soon-to-be fiance and a card that began with all his love and best wishes as she starts her second year of teaching and finished with “I got just one question.”  One question on bended knee and one simple answer later, and we have two of the happiest people on the planet.  Isn’t that grand!

Cynopsis Survey:  In an ongoing search for providing the information you find most useful and helpful, I’ve put together a quick survey relating primarily to programming data for cable networks. This time I’m looking to find out which networks you’d like to see covered with the information in the various survey questions . Certainly we will always endeavor to cover the major stories on any and all networks – this survey won’t change that.  The whole thing shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes – so if you please: Survey click here

ABC:  This is Your Life is making a comeback, and Ralph Edwards, the show’s original creator/exec producer and host, is coming back with it.  Edwards, now 92, will also be active on this show’s return.  Produced by Fox TV Studios, ABC has ordered 6 episodes

HBO has ordered up a new series which sounds on the face of it a little like Sex and the City five years later.  This as yet untitled comedy from executive producer Lydia Dean Pilcher and Becky Mode, follows a group upper crust 30-something women in New York City, as they go about their daily lives that includes friends, husbands, children, careers and responsibilities, says Hollywood Reporter.  Like Sex and the City, this will be a 30m program.  No news yet on talent or production schedule.

Fox Sports Net will launch a new series next month called FullTiltPoker.net Presents: Learn from the Pros. Set to debut on September 27, this 26 week series is hosted by Chris Rose and poker professional Howard Lederer.  The instructional series has future designs as a DVD package.

WB has ordered a pilot of a drama project from Wonderland Sound & Vision, working title Tribe. Focused on a group of 20-something undercover cops, all rejects from other LA based precincts, says Daily Variety.  McG is exec producer, and Scott Gemmill will write.  Also, Variety reports final negotiations are underway at the WB for a new primetime soap from Darren Star and Sony Television, which takes place in the wealthy playground of The Hamptons.  Nothing official announced as yet.

TNT is looking at another original drama series (because, as you know, they “know drama”) called Talk to Me, about a hostage negotiator.  TNT has ordered a pilot of this project from Lions Gate Television and exec prod Dean Devlin, per Variety.

ABC News Radio announced that David Blaustein has been promoted to Senior Entertainment Producer and Reporter, based in New York City.  In his new role, Blaustein will assist the entertainment department and news desk with breaking stories, while also offering his editing and production skills to the newsroom. 

Thursday — A18-49 Analysis:  CBS led the charge on Thursday night in final numbers from Nielsen Media Research, posting an overall 3.2/10 A18-49 with its standard Thursday night fare.  Fox was #2 with a 2.6/8, immediately followed by ABC 2.0/6, NBC 1.9/6, UPN 1.8/6, WB .7/2.  CBS won every hour throughout primetime – At 8p CBS’ original Big Brother ep drew a 3.0/10, a repeat of CSI at 9p averaged a 3.7/11, and a repeat of Without a Trace at 10p delivered a 3.0/9. Fox’s movie, Sweet Home Alabama, was close with a 2.6/8. Primetime Live at 10p drew a 2.2/6.

FINAL HOUSEHOLD RATINGS: Thursday, August 25,  2005, for all Networks – program averages. Source: Nielsen Media Research. 

CBS     7.0/12   Big Brother 5.3/9, CSI [r] 8.5/14, Without A Trace [r] 7.2/12

FOX     5.3/9    Movie: Sweet Home Alabama 5.3/9

NBC     5.1/9    Joey [r] 3.3/6, Will & Grace [r] 3.4/6,  Scrubs [r] 3.1/5, Scrubs [r] 3.0/5,  ER [r] 3.1/5

ABC     3.9/7    Movie:  Evolution 3.7/6, Primetime Live 4.2/7

UPN     3.2/5    WWE Smackdown 3.2/5

WB      1.2/2    Smallville [r] 1.4/2, Everwood [r] 1.0/2

A18-49            CBS 3.2/10, Fox 2.6/8, ABC 2.0/6, NBC 1.9/6, UPN 1.8/6, WB .7/2

The History Channel presents This Day in History:
1949–At a remote test site at Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan, the Soviet Union successfully detonates its first atomic bomb, code named “First Lightning.”  In addition to placing animals close to the detonation sight, Soviet scientists built bridges, buildings and other civilian structures in order to test the effect of the bomb; all the animals and structures were vaporized

Answer to Friday’s Trivia Question: This actor grew up in Florida on the east coast.  In the town he lived, his dad was the town’s police chief.  Who is this long time actor? BURT REYNOLDS    Kudos to:  Tina DeMarco/Stratford CT; Brenda Jones-Cablevision/NY; Elaine Yakos-GKV Comm/Baltimore MD; Jim Mason-Charter Media/Ada MI; Jay Masters-KXLT TV FOX 47/Rochester MN; John Kukla-KDFW/Dallas; John Heiser-o2ideas/Birmingham AL; Tom Nankival-WKOW/Madison WI; Walter Hammock-Showcase Cable/Houston; Tamar Seff-NBC Universal/Universal City; Joe Murphy-National Geographic Channel/Beverly Hills; Suzanne Leichter-ABC Family/Burbank; Larry Goldman-LMNO Productions/LA .

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM COURT TV

Today’s Trivia Question:  Who always promises to “leave on light on for you?” (click here with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: Only the second four correct answers from each time zone will be mentioned; and once you’ve been mentioned in any of the Cynopsis editions, you can’t be mentioned again that calendar week.)

Later — Cyn
08.29.05  – 5:03am
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WHAT’S ON TONIGHT:  Monday, August 29, 2005

ABC              NFL Monday Football Preseason Game: St. Louis at Detroit
CBS              King of Queens [r], Raymond [r], 2-1/2 Men [r], 2-1/2Men [r], CSI: Miami [r]
FOX              Prison Break [p]
NBC              Fear Factor [r], Las Vegas [r], Medium [r]
PAX              Doc, Diagnosis Murder, Early Edition
UPN              One on One [r], All of Us [r], Girlfriends [r], Half & Half [r]
WB               7th Heaven [r], Summerland [r]
TELE             El Cuerpo del Deseo, Los Plateados, El Principe Azul
UNIV             Apuesta por un Amor, La Madrasta, Cristina